Beer calendar: Avery and River North get sour; Boulder Beer and Great Divide have birthdays

Denver Beer Co is just a few weeks away from firing up the kettle at its new production facility, dubbed "Canworks," and brewing its first batches of Graham Cracker Porter and Incredible Pedal IPA in Sunnyside. The brewery's second location should begin canning those two beers before its third anniversary party on August 9.

Meanwhile, Copper Kettle Brewing is making full use of its recent upgrade from a three-barrel brewing system to a fifteen-barrel one by releasing two more year-round beers to accompany its award-winning Mexican Chocolate Stout. They are Charlie's Golden Strong, an 8 percent ABV Belgian-style strong, and Naja Imperial Red IPA, a stellar example of this style, which combines intense hops with a smooth, malty punch.

Turn the page to see all of this week's craft-beer events.

Wednesday, June 11

For its weekly Wayward Wednesday special tapping, River North Brewery will pour Scotch Barrel-aged J. Marie. Five gallons only, first pour is at 3 p.m.

June is fruit beer cask month at Copper Kettle Brewing, which will tap a new firkin every Wednesday. Today's offering is Passion Fruit IPA. Ckrepes will have food at 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 12

Station 26 Brewing will tap two pins (half firkins) today at 4 p.m. as part of its weekly Firkin Thursday program. The first is the brewery's ESB, dry-hopped with Amarillo (big grapefruit aroma); the other is the ESB dry-hopped with with Australian Summer hops (stone fruit/apricot, melon).

Star Bar will host a Renegade Brewing tap takeover today beginning at 5 p.m. in honor of the fact that the brewery just signed with Elite Brands of Colorado, which will distribute its beers across the state. There will be Renegade brews on draft and in cans.

Denver Beer Co, along with Amy Combs from A Cheese Peddler, will host a beer-and-cheese pairing today at 7 p.m. at the brewery's Barrel Room. Tickets to this guided, education-based pairing are $30 and include four six-ounce pours, four cheeses, a welcome beer and snacks.

Twelve Degree Brewing plans to be Louisville's official FIFA World Cup 2014-watching spot beginning at 2 p.m. today. To celebrate, the brewery is pouring MFBPA, a 6.3 percent ABV Belgian-American hybrid pale ale. Dry-hopped with American Columbus hops, the beer has piney, citrusy notes along with light, fruity esters from the Belgian yeast. Twelve Degree will be opening for extended hours during the World Cup in order to show almost all games live.

Saturday, June 14

Verboten Brewing of Loveland will be taking over the taps at the Source today from noon to 10 p.m. as part of the market's series of brewery pop-up events. They'll have their Killer Boots Caramel Porter, Thinking of Something Orange and Watermelon Gose.

Great Divide Brewing will host its twentieth anniversary blowout at the "future site" of its second location, at 3403 Brighton Boulevard, today from 2 to 6 p.m.; in the past, the brewery has held a block party at its current location on Arapahoe Street. There will be live music (Gin Doctors, Dirty Few, Varlet and Confluence) and food trucks (Basic Kneads, Burger Radio, 5280 Street Eats, Pink Tank); tickets are $30 or $35 in advance (although the party has sold out early in years past), and include a food ticket. There will also be bike valet parking provided by Denver's B-cycle. And, of course, there will be plenty of beer, including Great Divide's 20th Anniversary Belgian Style Ale, some special sours and barrel-aged brews, and a sneak peak of Showdown, an 8.3 percent ABV rye IPA that will be released later this year in bomber bottles.

Boulder Beer Company will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a celebration from noon to 9 p.m. at the brewery. The brewers have worked up some special offerings for the rare beer tasting garden outside. There will also be live music all day.

River North Brewery will release a beer nearly two years in the making today at 1 p.m. Aged for twenty months in red wine barrels with Brettanomyces, River North describes its Oud Bruin as "an exercise in balance; rich Belgian malt notes blend with tartness from a partial lactobacillus fermentation, funk from brettanomyces and a pleasant finish lended by extensive red wine aging." The brewery made only fifty cases; the 750 ml bottles cost $20 with a two-bottle limit in the taproom. Draft pours will also be available.

Sunday, June 15

Avery Brewing will release Obscuro & Nimbosus, number twenty in its Barrel Series, today at 1 p.m. at the Boulder taproom. The tropical sour was aged in rum barrels. Each twelve-ounce bottle is $12 and there is a limit of twelve per person -- cash only. The line will form early. Also, there will be a lineup of other rare or obscure Avery beers to drink while you are in line. And Avery will treat fathers to a pint of IPA or White Rascal since it is Father's Day.

Station 26 Brewing is hosting a Father's Day dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. today along with the Rolling Smoke BBQ food truck. The dinner includes smoked prime rib, smoked asparagus, baked potato, a Caesar salad and a pint of Station 26 beer for $20. Reserve your plate by e-mailing Terry at rollingsmokebbqco@gmail.com.

For more events later in May, turn the page.

Saturday, June 21

Want to tour Former Future Brewing with owner/brewmaster James Howat and taste some beers from barrels? Tours begin at 1 and 3 p.m.; there are only a limited number of tour/tasting spots available, so arrive early and sign up at the bar. But that's not all. Former Future has made limited, one-off variations for each of the beers it has on tap and begin tapping them, one every two hours, at 1 p.m. The first is Lage Landen Tripel with Peaches at 1 p.m., followed by Countinghouse Cream Ale Dry Hopped with East Kent Goldings Hops at 3 p.m. After that, it's Salted Caramel Prim and Porter at 5 p.m.; Blended Brimful at 7 p.m.; Singularity Principle Ver. II with Mangos & Zythos Hops at 9 p.m. The food truck today is Sand Bear Shack, serving hot dogs, brats, etc.

Chain Reaction Brewing in Denver will host its grand opening celebration today beginning at noon. The one-barrel nanobrewery will have a whopping sixteen beers on tap, including six flagships, four summer seasonals and six small-batch brews. And if those kegs run dry, Chain Reaction has a round of backups.

12 Degree Brewing in Louisville will celebrate its one-year anniversary today beginning at noon. There will be new beer releases, giveaways, music and food specials.

Sunday, June 22

BRU handbuilt ales & eats, which was originally conceived and founded in chef Ian Clark's Boulder garage, will celebrate its second anniversary today with a party from 1 to 8 p.m. There will be special tappings, including the 1st Anniversary bomber pouring at 2:30 and the 2nd Anniversary release at 3:30, along with live music and a pig roast with all the fixins'. Tickets, $25 in advance, are available at bruboulder.com.

Saturday, June 28

Renegade Brewing will celebrate its third anniversary today with a block party from 3 to 10 p.m. in the 900 block of West Ninth Avenue in front of the brewery. There will be music all day (3:30 CP Carrington, 5:30 Holly Lovell, 7 p.m.The Way, The Arrow, 8:30 The Knew), food trucks (Matt's Snack Shack, Baba & Pop's Kitchen, Slider Shack 303, Em's Ice Cream), ice cream, and tons of beer. There is no entrance fee and all beers, including the regular lineup and a few hits from the past year, are $5. A free bike valet will be provided by the Denver Bicycle Cafe.

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